My UK city is the best place in the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve, here’s why everyone should visit at least once
SCOTLAND’S capital has one of the biggest New Year – or Hogmanay as the Scots call it – celebrations in the world.
The official Hogmanay festival dates to 1993, but we Scots use any excuse for a party and so it was more of an informal do before then.
The celebrations have been highlighted as one of the ‘top 100 things to do before you die’ and it’s the only festival to have appeared in the Discovery Channel’s ‘top 25 world travel experiences.’
And it’s worth the hype! With a massive, world-famous street party, big name concerts and showstopping fireworks, you can see why thousands of people flock to the city each year.
And that’s just New Year’s Eve itself, there are four days of incredible events which include some free to join with live music and even family parties throughout the city centre.
This year, Scottish superstars, Texas will headline at the Concert in the Gardens on 31 December for the first time in almost 20 years.
Having recently just played two sold-out shows at the Hydro in Glasgow, the group have sold more than 40 million records worldwide and performed at the famous concert twice before.
Going to the street party was a rite of passage for me and my friends as teenagers.
Growing up in the city, I’m old enough to have been there when tickets were free.
I remember hearing Texas play back in 2005 along with KT Turnstall. They also headlined in 1999 along with the Bay City Rollers, The Mavericks and Del Amitri.
Tickets for the Concert in the Gardens now start at £72.50 and street party tickets start at £23.50 which is a special residents’ rate. Up until 2004, street party tickets didn’t cost a penny then they bumped up the price to £2.50 each.
Even if you don’t venture out on Hogmanay itself, the city is the most fun and magical throughout the whole of December.
The New Year activities are part of Edinburgh’s Winter Festival, which runs for six weeks from the 15 Nov 2024 to 4 Jan 2025.
The traditional German Christmas markets are always bustling and full of unique crafts and delicious food and there are funfair rides, ice skating and even the Polar Ice Bar this year.
If you’re anywhere near the city in December, you’ll struggle to avoid the fun.
I’ve lived in Edinburgh for 30 something years now and there hasn’t been a year where I haven’t been involved in at least one of the activities.
This year, my friends and I are already planning a trip to the markets to grab some mulled wine and sweet treats before making fools of ourselves on the ice rink on George Street.
We’ve also booked a slot at the Polar Ice Bar and my kids love the funfair.
For families, there is a special ‘Bairn’s’ New Year party that lets little ones have the chance to join the celebrations with a huge family ceilidh, live music and dancing on New Year’s Eve at 2pm at the Assembly Rooms on George Street.
And on New Year’s Day, join acclaimed folk singer and songwriter, Karine Polwart and 200 community singers for Come Away In – an atmospheric First Footin’ event at St. Giles’ Cathedral.
This free non-ticketed event is on from 2pm until 5.40pm and takes inspiration from the Scottish traditional of First Footin’ – which is opening your door to friends and strangers on the first day of the new year.
It’s the perfect free event to get involved with for visitors to Scotland.
But if you want to go all out and bring in 2025 with a bang, you’ll love the street party or Concert in the Gardens.
With so many people all out to have a good time, you’ll be sure to make friends for life with a kiss and cuddle at the bells while you watch the spectacular fireworks over Scotland’s most iconic castle.
The first and last places around the world to ring in the New Year, every year
Kiritimati Island – also known as Christmas Island – and a string of 10 other mostly uninhabited islands in the central Pacific Ocean will be the first to ring in 2024.
Tonga, New Zealand and Samoa all celebrate the New Year, before Eastern Australia and then Central Australia.
The last places to see 2025 in will be two uninhabited islands named Baker Island and Howland Island, southwest of Hawaii.
The USA is one of the last countries to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, with New York and Washington D.C. having to wait until 5am GMT to ring in 2025.